Vowing to make Bengaluru free of drugs, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara seems to have found an uncanny partner in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
More than his own party student wing the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the right-wing student group ABVP Karnataka unit has lent support to the cause and kick-started a campaign against the burgeoning drug abuse on campuses.
Aligning with Parameshwara’s promise to cleanse the city of drugs, the ABVP launched a campaign by asking the city college students to pose for a selfie and post it on social platforms with hashtag #drugfreecampus.
“The home minister has taken a brave step to eradicate drug menace in Bengaluru. We are extending our support for his work besides assisting the police to establish anti-drug squad, which will keep an eye on drug abuse on campuses 24X7,” Jayaprakash, ABVP Bengaluru city organising secretary, told DH.
The student unit launched a week-long project from July 30 to August 4 that it intends to take to all the colleges across Bengaluru.
“On day one, we have covered nearly 200 college campuses, which include both the Bengaluru urban and rural areas. The ABVP members are creating awareness among the students by requesting them to raise voice against the menace on campuses. Our primary objective is to expose the people behind the drug mafia and tip off the police,” he added.
Meanwhile, the NSUI stated that it would also soon plunge into the pool.
“In fact, we had scheduled a rally ‘Say no to drugs’ on July 27 and Home Minister Parameshwara was supposed to take part. However, due to his brother’s demise, he could not take part, said Manjunath Gowda, state president, National Students Union of India.
"We are working on our own way against this social evil. Very soon we will organise a rally. We will also help the drug addicts to quit the habit by giving them moral and counselling support,” said Gowda.